Some residents want Chairman Gene Francesconi to step down from the Elizabeth Township Board of Commissioners after allegedly sending vulgar text messages to another township employee from his personal phone.

Some residents want Chairman Gene Francesconi to step down from the Elizabeth Township Board of Commissioners.

One message was reportedly a picture of a pregnant black woman that said "Housewives of Section 8 -- all new season starts Thursdays at 2 a.m. on BET." A second text reportedly said, "The 10th annual (expletive) tournament is tomorrow! We ask that you please do not attend so a 'girl' can win this year. Thanks champ!"

"There have been congressmen and senators run out of Washington, D.C., on lesser charges," township resident Emil Burak said.

"If that would have been my son or my grandson doing something like that, when the board got the word, they would have put him off," township resident Gloria Wilson said.

At Tuesday night's board meeting, Commisioner Donald Similo requested a motion to discuss the messages and Francesconi's possible resignation in a public forum. The majority of the board denied that forum.

"I'm disappointed," Similo said. "I think something like this that was made public should be discussed publicly so no one feels we've swept it under the rug."

The board denied the public forum on the advice of Solicitor Patricia McGrail, who said action has been taken but did not say what it was.

"Personnel action was taken on behalf of that employee. We're not going to discuss it any further at a public meeting," McGrail said.

While the alleged messages were sent on a personal phone, Similo doesn't think that should matter: "When you become involved in public office, personal becomes -- unfortunately -- no longer a privilege."